Real Estate

It’s official: The long-awaited Westfield World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan is finally ready to open its doors.   Likely to become of the city’s most visited retail destinations, the shopping center will celebrate its grand opening on Aug. 16. With 365,000 sq. ft. of retail space, it will feature more than 100 global and local fashion, beauty, lifestyle and technology brands.  

Bankrupt Aeropostale Inc. may not be going out of business after all.   The teen apparel chain has resolved a dispute with lenders that threatened to sink a potential bid from a unit of Versa Capital Management to buy the chain out of bankruptcy, Bloomberg reported.   Versa would keep about 500 Aeropostale stores open, according to the report. 

Ikea’s upcoming store in Columbus, Ohio, has begun taking shape.   The company said that the structure’s steel framing has progressed far enough to allow for the installation of Ikea’s iconic blue composite panels. Installing the panels is a construction milestone that keeps the store on track to open in summer 2017.  

Dick’s Sporting Goods is expanding its footprint in the Houston market.   The retailer is looking to open six stores this fall in the Houston area, up from the five it had previously announced, the Houston Business Journal reported.   In November, General Growth Properties announced it had signed lease agreements with Dick’s to open in five GG shopping centers in Houston: Baybrook Mall, Deebrook Mall, First Colony Mall, The Woodlands Mall, and Willowbrook Mall.

Two outlet mall projects in southern Michigan have been abandoned and another will miss its scheduled opening date, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press.  

It’s no secret that Abercrombie & Fitch has been developing a new prototype.   The chain will unveil its new look early next year, at Polaris Fashion Place, in Columbus, Ohio. The store will herald a new direction for the brand with a new aesthetic and updated merchandise selections. It will be situated on the lower level near Madewell.     Abercrombie has already introduced a new look for its Hollister store brand.  

Regency Centers announced it has closed on land that will house the central shopping center in Tustin Legacy, a master-planned community taking shape in Orange County, California. Development costs are expected to hit $40 million.   The 112,000-sq.-ft. Village at Tustin Legacy will be anchored by a Stater Bros. Market, and Regency reports that 80% of the remaining retail space is leased or committed. It will be the 11th property for Regency in Orange County, following on the recently completed Village at La Floresta in Brea.

Regency Centers has demolished most of its Aventura Shopping Center in the South Florida town of the same name, and is underway with a near-total redevelopment.   The Publix grocery anchor at the center south of Hollywood is the only structure that remains, though the 35,500-sq.-ft. space will be expanded to 49,000 sq. ft. with parking below the store.